2019 - Charitable Shoot defies the downpours to raise £230k for Scottish-based good causes
L to R - Nick Nairn, Willie Allan MBE, Gerard Eadie CBE and Dougie Vipond.
The annual charity clay pigeon shoot hosted by CR Smith boss Gerard Eadie CBE raised a superb £230k at the weekend – money which will be divided between four charities.
With spirits high despite the threat of downpours, 42 teams of shooters and a total of 400 guests took part in The Shoot at Auchterhouse Country Sports, near Dundee, on Sunday (11 August). Celebrities Nick Nairn and Dougie Vipond entertained guests with cookery demonstrations and the prizegiving was hosted by Scottish rugby international Alastair Kellock.
Willie Allan MBE worked a fantastic auction to raise money for the chosen good causes - JDRF, Maggie’s, CLIC Sargent and Seamab School - but the show-stopper in the day’s fundraising activities was a raffle for a Mercedes A Class donated by Arnold Clark.
The Shoot, which is now in its 18th year, has raised a total of £3.4m since its first event. The day includes a clay pigeon shooting competition in the morning with cookery demonstrations and fashion shows for the non-shooters, followed by lunch and live entertainment throughout the afternoon.
Gerard Eadie CBE said:
“We were very lucky with the weather. It stayed dry until the afternoon, so the competition went without a hitch and everyone was inside the marquee when the rain came down. But nothing dampened our spirits. Everyone was extremely generous and we raised a superb amount of money for our charities.
“Our chosen charities all do terrific work across the country and have been selected as they have a personal meaning for some of our guests. It was a great day and my thanks go to everyone who was involved.”
Describing The Shoot, he added:
“The Shoot starts with a small army of volunteers who turn out to help. We have a network of supporters who donate prizes and services. Then there are our guests who make up The Shoot family and who come together in a spirit of generosity every year to have fun and support good causes.”
The event is organised by The Shoot Charitable Trust, with support from sponsors, including Brewin Dolphin, Holland Cooper, Bridgend Aggregates, Bentley Edinburgh, CR Smith, Edwin James Group, Entier, James Keiller Estates, James Paterson & Sons, Kinrara Highland Distillery, Knight Property Group, McCloys, Texo and Yorkes of Dundee.
2018 - The Shoot tops £3m for charity
Celebrity chef Nick Nairn, along with Scottish rugby players Alex Dunbar, Stuart Hogg and DTH van der Merwe, joined over 400 people at Auchterhouse Country Sports near Dundee, (12 August), for the 17th charity shoot organised by CR Smith Executive Chairman, Gerard Eadie CBE.
More than £240,000 was raised on the day, which will be distributed to Maggie’s Cancer Centres, JDRF, HorseBack UK, Seamab and Polar Academy.
The Shoot has now raised over £3m for a variety of charities.
Organised and run by CR Smith staff, the Shoot has the support of big name sponsors including Adam & Company, Entier, Brewin Dolphin, Holland Cooper, Hydroscot Energies, FES, Deloitte, Edwin James Group, Bridgend Aggregates, Pickering’s Gin, James Paterson & Sons, Blaser and James Keiller Estates.
The event that embodies fun, good sportsmanship and the kindness of others presented a special award to Grant Yorke, of Yorkes of Dundee Butchers. Grant, who has been involved in the Shoot from the beginning, was presented with the Jim Paterson Award for Kindness and Generosity in recognition of his tireless support of the event and his unreserved willingness to help others. Only handed out in exceptional circumstances, Grant was, in fact, an easy choice for this year’s award.
Gerard Eadie said: “I have always felt that the guests and participants of The Shoot are like an extended family. We come together each year and the generosity that is shown to each other and the charities – chosen because they have a special meaning to many of those present - is always overwhelming.”
2017 - King of the penguins shoots and scores £16,000 for charity
A 6ft statue of a king penguin is sitting with his feet up today after netting a cool £16,000 for CR Smith boss Gerard Eadie’s 16th charity clay pigeon shoot, taking the total amount of funds raised by this year’s event to £240,000.
The Shoot, organised by Mr Eadie’s Shoot Charitable Trust, took place on Sunday (13 Aug) at Auchterhouse Country Sports, near Dundee.
Attracting 41 teams of shooters and a total of 365 guests, including players from the Glasgow Warriors and style icons Sarah Murray and Anna Freemantle-Zee, the event raised £120,000 each for JDRF, the leading type 1 diabetes research charity and Maggie’s cancer centres.
The total raised by The Shoot is now £2.94m, which has been donated to a number of charities.
Celebrity chefs Nick Nairn and Tony Singh took part in the competition along with comedian Fred MacAulay, while The Overtones and Joe Stilgoe performed. Fashion shows were provided by Drapers award winner Jane Davidson.
Gerard Eadie CBE said:
“Each year The Shoot goes from strength to strength and we are fortunate to have the support of a generous group of people, who help us raise funds for two worthy charities.
“It has become increasingly clear to me how much our contribution means to the families these charities support.
“Cancer and type 1 diabetes can be particularly hard when they hit anyone, especially children, leaving families facing life-changing challenges.
“The money raised at The Shoot gives hope and comfort to those families, which I’m very grateful for.”
A MINI Cooper was raffled and the live auction added to the excitement of the day, featuring items such as a Glen Scouller painting, a VIP package to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a luxury villa in Marbella, as well as the stunning penguin sculpture.
Painted by Janice Aitken from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, the ‘King of The Shoot’ is dressed like a true country gent with tweeds, a checked shirt and a shotgun. He is part of a colony which will see giant sculptures of penguins waddling the streets of Dundee in next summer’s Penguin Parade. Each sculpture will be individually designed and painted by local artists where they will all eventually be auctioned in aid of Maggie’s.
The Shoot is sponsored by CR Smith, Adam & Company, Blaser, Bridgend Aggregates, FES, Hydroscot Energies, James Keiller Estates, James Paterson & Sons, Pickering’s Gin, Ramco, Rolls-Royce Edinburgh, Entier, Arnold Clark and Yorkes of Dundee.